TorrentFreak is reporting that links to Cory Doctorow’s book, Homeland, are being shut down after a DMCA request by Fox. Why is Cory’s Creative Commons licensed book that is available for free being attacked? It kind of sounds like it could be a copy of Homeland, the TV series, so they shut it down.
Homeland is available on multiple sites, including Doctorow’s own, and is also available on some torrent sites. The Takedown notice names on a number of Fox’s own properties, including Homeland, as well as ripped copies of Hitchcock, Life Of Pi, and It’s Always Sunny In Philadelpia.
Apparently Cory himself replied to the DMCA takedown, saying to TorrentFreak: “I think you can safely say I’m incandescent with rage. BRING ME THE SEVERED HEAD OF RUPERT MURDOCH!”
Sadly, even Cory’s own publisher, Tor, is sending DMCA takedowns for his book, Rapture Of The Nerds. It’a also available for free but is popping up on torrent sites.
Obviously both of these instances are cases of an overzealous robot hunting down potentially infringing content. However, given Doctorow’s tendency towards copyfighting, it’s a bit funny that his CC-licensed books are being so zealously attacked.
